1st Trebitsch Memorial – Vienna 1907

Mieses' Greatest Tournament Victory – 1st Place with 10/13

The Greatest Triumph

The first Trebitsch Memorial marks the pinnacle of Mieses' tournament career. With 10 points from 13 games, the 41-year-old Mieses outpaced a field of rising young stars. Together with his victory at Liverpool 1923, it stands as one of only two wins at a major international tournament in his long career.

The Wiener Schachzeitung reports that Maróczy and Schlechter were considered the hot favourites. Mieses' triumph came as a genuine surprise – he was not among the pre-tournament picks but outplayed both established favourites.

Leopold Trebitsch (1842–1906) was a wealthy Viennese silk manufacturer and chess patron who bequeathed the considerable sum of 100,000 kronen to the Vienna Chess Club – one of the most prestigious clubs in the Austro-Hungarian Empire – to fund a series of tournaments. As Trebitsch died just one month before the first event, the series was named in his memory. Between 1907 and 1938, a total of 20 Trebitsch Memorial tournaments were held; the series came to an end with the Anschluss.

Mieses played the Danish Gambit and the Vienna Game as White, and the Scandinavian Defence as Black – always seeking tactical imbalances rather than positional manoeuvring. His Chessmetrics performance rating for this tournament reached 2740.

Writing in the Neue Freie Presse the day after the tournament (28 January 1907), Adolf Zinkl summed up Mieses' previous sixteen years: he had fought "most unevenly," rarely won high prizes, "but always distinguished himself through elegant attacking play, produced the most brilliant games and counted among the most feared masters."

Final Standings

Edward Winter has pointed out that some older sources incorrectly credit Tartakower with only 8 points. According to the Wiener Schachzeitung (May–June 1907, pp. 183–184), Tartakower won his game against Martinolich. The correct score is 8½ points.

The Field

Vienna 1907 brought together two generations of chess mastery. On one side stood the established classical masters Schlechter and Maróczy; on the other, a new "Sturm und Drang" generation hungry for recognition. For Savielly Tartakower – then a law student in Vienna – it was his international debut.

Schlechter and Maróczy – the grand panjandrums of Viennese chess – were outpaced by the younger generation. That the outsider Mieses led the field from start to finish surprised the chess world.

Mieses' Result

Note: The Wiener Schachzeitung speaks of "ten wins," which at 10 points from 13 games would imply +10 =0 −3. Gillam's tournament book (Vienna 1907, 1994) may clarify this discrepancy.

Decision on the Final Day

The outcome remained open until the last round: "Mieses or Duras," wrote the Wiener Schachzeitung. On the final day, Mieses defeated "even the Viennese champion Schlechter" to reach ten wins. Duras, meanwhile, could only draw against the 61-year-old veteran Berger. The British Chess Magazine congratulated Mieses warmly, noting it was the first time he had won a tournament of such importance.

The Farewell Banquet (27 January 1907)

The day after the final round, the Vienna Chess Club hosted a farewell banquet. Baron Albert von Rothschild, honorary president of the club, toasted the two top finishers. Mieses responded on behalf of all the masters with "a longer, witty speech" – one of the rare glimpses of his personality beyond the board. Vice-president Dr Franz Liharzik announced plans for a major international tournament in 1908 to mark the Emperor's jubilee.

The brilliancy prizes (donated by Baron Albert von Rothschild: 150 and 100 kronen) went to Duras (game against Spielmann) and Schlechter (game against Maróczy). Mieses – the tournament winner, renowned for his attacking play – did not receive one. Jury: Fähndrich, Fleissig, Marco.

Sources

• (Neue) Wiener Schachzeitung, vol. 1907, No. 1/2, pp. 3–13 (tournament report, player portraits, farewell banquet)
• Wiener Schachzeitung, May–June 1907, pp. 183–184 (final standings, Tartakower correction)
• Neue Freie Presse, 28 January 1907 (Zinkl portrait)
• British Chess Magazine, March 1907, pp. 118–119 (congratulations, Duras undefeated)
• Gillam, A.J. (ed.): Vienna 1907. Nottingham, 1994. 81 games
• Lachaga, José: 20 Trebitsch-Gedenkturniere Wien 1907–1938. Buenos Aires, 1968
• Winter, Edward: Chess Notes, C.N. 127/566 (Tartakower correction)